Tying machine



May 17, 1966 R. w. SMITH 3,251,296

TYING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 a, 'w Q INVENTOR-ROEERT W. fill/I771 BY, wmwm ATTORNEYS y 17, 1966 R. w. SMITH 3,251,296

TYING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ROBE/K 7' W. 541/777 BY wmwm Arrap/vsns United States Patent 3,251,296TYING MACHINE Robert W. Smith, Darlington, 1nd, assignor to Mid-StatesSteel & Wire Company, Crawfordsville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana 1Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,080 Claims. (Cl. 100-26) This inventionrelates to tying machines and more particularly to a knotter for a wiretying machine.

Wire tying machines have heretofore been proposed in which a run of wireis threaded around a package and is drawn tightly around the packagewith the free end of the wire overlapping the initial run of wire. Afterthe wire is drawn tight around the package the free end is twistedtogether with the initial run of wire and the initial run of wire isthen cut off adjacent to the twist or knot. One of the problems of suchmachines has been the proper guiding of the wire during threading andreleasing of the overlapping portions of the wire from the guiding meansto be picked up and twisted together by the twister mechanism.

The present invention relates particularly to improvements in thetwister head and guiding mechanism and has as its principal object theprovision of means to guide the wire closely during threading thereofand to release or disengage the wire in response to movement of thetwister head in a direction to pick up the wire for twisting.

Another object is to provide a tying machine in which the twister headoperates through a cam during the initial portion of its movement from arest position toward a twisting position to disengage the overlappingruns of wire from the guide member.

According to one feature of the invention, the guide member is formedwith open topped grooves to receive and guide the wire during threadingand is moved downwardly during initial movement of the twister headtoward twisting position to release the .wire. In another desirableconstruction, the bottoms of the wire guiding grooves are formed byvertically movable plungers which are moved upwardly by a cam duringinitial movement of the twister head to move the wires out of thegrooves.

According to another feature of the invention, the guiding grooves areclosed by a cover which is carried by the twister head to be moved awayfrom the grooves during the initial movement of the head.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be morereadily apparent from the following description when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view with parts broken away of a knottermechanism for a tying machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the parts in the threading position; a

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the parts in the knottingposition; and

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. 2 illustrating an alternativeconstruction.

The tying machine, as shown, is generally similar to the machine moreparticularly described and claimed in the co-pending application ofPlanigan and Smith, Serial No. 113,472, filed May 29, 1961, now PatentNo. 3,157,- 109 issued November 17, 1964, except for changes in theknotter mechanism. The entire machine is therefore not shown herein, butit will be understood that it comprises a platform partially shown at'10 in FIG. 2 on which articles to be tied are received with a guideloop, not shown herein, extending above the platform to guide wire fedinto the loop around the package to be tied. After the wire has beenlooped around the package, the feed 3,251,296 Patented May 17, 1966thereof is reversed to draw the wire tightly around'the package afterwhich the overlapping portions of the wire are twisted together and thewire is cut to complete a tying operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wire is guided in its passage across theplatform by guide members 111 which lie at opposite ends of an elongatedopening 12 in the platform and which communicate with the loop. Passageof the wire across the opening 11 is guided by a guide member comprisinga block 13 formed with a pair of parallel grooves 14- in its uppersurface. In using the machine, the end of the wire initially traversesthe left-hand groove, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, and upon completion ofthe loop, the end of the wire is guided through the right-hand groovepartially to overlap the initial run of wire. Upon completion of theloop the end of the wire is gripped by gripping means, as moreparticularly disclosed in the application referred to above, so that thewire is ready to be drawn tightly around the package and tied.

The guide member .13 is carried by a second block 15 which is supportedfor vertical sliding movement on a pair of vertical pins 16. Springs 17urge the blocks 15 and 13 upwardly on the pins to the threading positionillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The pins 16 are mounted on a carriage 1 8 which is slidable horizontallyon a guide member 19. As shown, the carriage 18 includes a plate 21resting on the guide member 19 and having side projections 22 whichoverlie the sides of the guide member 19. In this way, the carriage isfree to move horizontally from a position in which the guide block 13registers with the opening 12 to a position at the left side of theopening 12, as seen in FIG. 2. The carriage is urged toward the firstmentioned or guiding position by a compression spring 23 acting betweena fixed block 24 on the guide 19 and the carriage. A suitable stop isprovided preferably by means of a rod around which the spring 23 isthreaded to limit movement of the carriage to the right.

The overlapping portions of the wire are adapted to be twisted togetherfor knotting by a twister head, indicated generally at 2:5, and whichmay be substantially identical to the twister head shown in theco-pending application referred to above. The twister head comprises ashaft 26 driven through universal joints 2/7 by a driving shaft 28 whichturns first in one direction for twisting the twister pinion 31 whileupon rotation of the shaft 26 in the opposite direction the pinion 29will be released therefrom.

The shaft 26 also carries a cam disc 33 having a cam pawl 33' thereonwhich is free to swing in one direction but Whose movement in theopposite direction is limited by a stop pin 33". When the disc 33 isturning in a clockwise direction to twist the wires together the pawl 33will slide over the lever 34 freely but when the disc is turningcounterclockwise the pawl will be held .by stop pin 33" and will engageand move the lever 34 which is pivoted on the twister head. The lever 34engages a cutting knife 35 which is vertically slidablle at one side ofthe head in registration with a slot 36 therein. When the cam disc 33 isturned in a counterclockwise direction, the knife blade will be urgedupwardly to cut the initial run of wire adjacent to the twister head atthe completion of a twisting operation. Preferably a spring 37 isprovided to unge the knife downwardly to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The twister head is slidahly supported on the guide member 19 forhorizontal movement from a rest position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, inwhich the twister pinion lies at one side of the opening 12 to atwisting position in which the twister pinion is in registration withthe opening 12 and receives the overlapping runs of wire to twist themtogether. As shown, the twister head is supported on guide blocks 38which rest slidably on the guide member 19. For shifting the twisterhead, a fluid cylinder 3% is provided which is fixedly mounted and whichhas its piston connected to the twister head. Preferably the twisterhead and guide member are urged together by one or more tension springs41.

During threading of the wire, the guide grooves 14 are covered so thatthe wire is completely confined therein. For this purpose, a cover plate42 hinged at 43 on supporting brackets 44 is provided. The brackets 44are secured to rods or posts 45 which are in turn secured to the twisterhead and project outwardly therefrom between the guide rods 16. Withthis construction, the cover plate 42 will move with the twister head sothat as the twister head advances toward the twisting position, thecover plate will be moved away from the grooves 14 to allow the wirestherein to escape.

For disengaging the runs of wire from the guide grooves 14 cam means areprovided which are made effective during the initial movement of thetwister head toward its twisting position. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2,the cam means comprises a straight cam plate 46 having a straight outerend portion merging into a downwardly tapered calm surface adjacent tothe twister head, as best seen in FIG. 2. The lower surface of the cam46 engages a cam follower rolier 47 carried by a yoke secured to theguide block 15. In the initial or rest position as shown in FIG. 2, theroller will engage the upper horizontal surface of the cam plate so thatthe guide block will be elevated. However, as the twister head movestoward the guide block during the initial part of the movement,

from the wires therein to disengage the wires from the guiding grooves.

In operation of the mechanism as so far described, a wire is loopedaround a package to be tied, passing through the guide members 11 andthe guide grooves 14 of the guide block 13. The free end of the wire isthen clamped and the wire is drawn tightly around the package with thespaced parallel runs of wire still being retained in the grooves 14.With the wire in this condition, the motor 39 is energized to shift thetwister head to the left, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, toward its twistingposition.

During the initial part of this movement the twister head will moverelative to the guide block due to the action of the springs 23 and 41.Therefore, the cam 46 will move the guide block downwardly to disengageit from the runs of wire and to leave them free. At the same time, thecover plate 4.2 will be moved away from the guide block. By the time thetwister head comes into engagement with the guide block the parts willoccupy the relative positions shown in FIG. 3 with the guide block beingretracted and the cover plate being moved out of registration therewith.I

Upon further movement of the twister head to the left, the guide blockwill be caused to move with the twister head against the spring 23. Atthe end of the movement of the twister head the runs of wire, asindicated at 48 in FIG. 3, will be moved into the slot in the twisterpinion ready to be knotted.

At this time, the shaft 28 will be turned in one direction, clockwise,as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, to drive the pinion 2 9 through the one-wayclutch 32, thereby to turn the twister pinion 31 and twist theoverlapping runs of the wire together. Upon completion of the twistingoperat tion, shaft 28 will reverse to turn the cam disc 33counterclockwise so that the pawl 33" will move the knife 35 upwardlysufficiently to cut off the initial run of wire adjacent to the twisterhead. The clutch 32 will release during this reverse turning so that thetwister pinion 31 will align its slot with the slots 36 in the sidemembers of the twister head to permit removal of the knotted wiretherefrom. At this time, the motor 39 is energized in the reversedirection to move the twister head back toward its normal rest position.During this movement the twisted runs of wire will be pulled out of thetwister pinion thereby releasing the tied package for removal. Also, theguide member will follow the twister head during its initial returnmovement until the guide member is stopped in its normal guidingposition. Further movement of the twister head will move the cam plate46 to the right rel-ative to the guide member thereby allowing the guideblocks l3 and to rise in response to the springs 17 to their initialposition. At this time, the apparatus is ready for a subsequent tyingoperation.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified construction, parts therein correspondingto identical parts in FIGS. 1 to 3 being indicated by the same referencenumerals. In this construction, the guide member comprises a block 51formed with a pair of vertically extending slots therein in which flatelongated plungers 52 are slidable. The plungers 52 normally occupy araised position, as shown, so that they form with the top block 51 andwith a shoulder 53 thereon parallel guiding grooves 54 corresponding tothe grooves 14- of FIGS. 1 to 3. If desired, a spring may be providedurging the plungers upwardly to the position shown. The plungers areconnected at their lower ends and carry cam follower rollers 55 whichride on a cam plate 56 secured to the twister head. The cam plate 56 issimilar to the cam plate 46, and functions in the normal position shownin FIG. 4 to raise the plungers to their guiding position in which theydefine the guiding grooves 54. When the twister head 25 moves to theleft relative to the guide member, the cam 56 will lower the plungers 52until their upper ends are flush with the top of the block 51 so thatthe wires can slide freely over the top of the guide block and into thetwister pinion as it moves toward them.

While two embodiments of the invention have been shown and describedherein, it will be understood that they are illustrative only and not tobe taken as a definition of the scope of the invention, reference beinghad for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a wire tying machine having a platform to receive an article to betied and formed with an opening therein, a knotter mechanism comprisinga knotter head slidably mounted beneath the platform, a twister pinioncarried by the head and moved thereby from a first position at one sideof the opening to a second position in registration with the opening, aguide member formed with guiding means to guide parallel runs of wire,means mounting the guide member for movement relative to the head andfrom a first position registering with the opening to a second positionat one side thereof, means operated by initial movement of the headrelative to the guide member from its first position toward its secondposition to disengage the guiding means from runs of wire engaged andguided thereby, the head after said initial movement engaging the guidemember and moving it to its second position.

2. In a wire tying machine having a platform to receive an article to betied and formed with an opening therein, a knotter mechanism comprisinga knotter head slidably mounted beneath the platform, a twister pinioncarried by the'head and moved thereby from a first position at one sideof the opening to a second position in' registration with the opening, aguide member formed with guiding means to guide parallel runs of wire,means r mounting the guide member for movement relative to the head andfrom a first position registering with the opening to a second positionat one side thereof, a cam member carried by the head and moved relativeto the guide member by initial movement of the head from its firstposition toward its second position to disengage the guiding means fromthe runs of wire engaged and guided thereby, the head engaging the guidemember after said initial movement to move the guide member from itsfirst position to its second position.

3. The machine of claim 1 including a cover overlying the guide memberto hold Wire in the guiding means, and means mounting the cover on thehead to move it away from the guiding means during said initial movementof the head.

4. The machine of claim 1 including a spring urging the guide membertoward its first position, and a second spring connecting the head andguide member urging them into engagement with each other.

5. In a wire tying machine having a platform to receive an article to betied and formed with an opening therein, a knotter mechanism comprisinga head mounted for horizontal sliding beneath the platform, a twisterpinion carried by the head, means to move the head from a first positionat one side of the opening to a second position in registration with theopening, a guide member formed in its upper surface with a pair of wireguiding grooves, means mounting the guide member at one end of the headfor vertical'sliding movement and for limited horizontal movementrelative to the head and for horizontal movement with the head from afirst position registering with the opening to a second position at theother side of the opening, means operated by initial horizontal movementof the head relative to the guide member from its first toward itssecond position to disengage wire in the grooves therefrom, the headengaging the guide member after said initial movement and moving theguide member to its second position.

6. The machine of claim 5 in which the last named means is an elongatedcam carried by the head and moved relative to the guide member duringsaid initial movement.

7. In a wire tying machine having a platform to receive an article to betied and formed with an opening therein, a knotter mechanism comprisinga head mounted for horizontal sliding beneath the platform, a twisterpinion carried by the head, means to move the head from a first positionat one side of the opening to a second position in registration with theopening, a guide member formed in its upper surface with a pair of wireguiding grooves, means mounting the guide member adjacent to one end ofthe head for vertical sliding movement and for limited horizontalmovement relative to the head and for horizontal movement with the headfrom a first position registering with the opening to a second positionat the other side of the opening, means supporting the guide member onthe mounting means for vertical movement from a normal raised positionadjacent to the platform to a lowered position spaced below the platformmeans operated by initial movement of the head relative to the guidemember from its first position toward its second position to move theguide member downwardly from its normal raised position, the headengaging the guide member after said initial movement and moving it toits second position.

8. The machine of claim 7 in which the guide member is urged upwardly bya spring and the last named means is a cam carried by the head andengaging the guide member.

9. The machine of claim 5 including a cover normally overlying andclosing the grooves in the guide member and connected to the head to bemoved away from the grooves during said initial movement of the head.

10. In a wire tying machine having a platform to receive an article tobe tied and formed with an opening therein, a knotter mechanismcomprising a head mounted for horizontal sliding beneath the platform, atwister pinion carried by the head, means to move the head from a firstposition at one side of the opening to a second position in registrationwith the opening, a. guide member formed in its upper surface with apair of Wire guiding grooves, means mounting the guide member at one endof the head for movement from a first position registering with theopening to a second position at the other side of the opening,vertically slidable plungers cooperat ing with the guide member todefine the grooves, and means operated by initial movement of the headfrom its first position toward its second position. to move the plungersin a direction to make their upper surfaces flush with the tops of thegrooves thereby to disengage the wires from the grooves.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,060,841 10/1962Van De Bilt 10O31 3,179,03 8 4/ 1965 MacKenzie -26 FOREIGN PATENTS652,773 11/1962 Canada.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. LOUIS O. MAASSEL, AssistantExaminer.

1. IN A WIRE TYING MACHINE HAVING A PLATFORM TO RECEIVE AN ARTICLE TO BETIED AND FORMED WITH AN OPENING THEREIN, A KNOTTER MECHANISM COMPRISINGA KNOTTER HEAD SLIDABLY MOUNTED BENEATH THE PLATFORM, A TWISTER PINIONCARRIED BY THE HEAD AND MOVED THEREBY FROM A FIRST POSITION AT ONE SIDEOF THE OPENING TO A SECOND POSITION IN REGISTRATION WITH THE OPENING, AGUIDE MEMBER FORMED WITH GUIDING MEANS TO GUIDE PARALLEL RUNS OF WIRE,MEANS MOUNTING THE GUIDE MEMBER FOR MOVEMENT RELATIVE TO THE HEAD ANDFROM A FIRST POSITION REGISTERING WITH THE OPENING TO A SECOND POSITIONAT ONE SIDE THEREOF, MEANS OPERATED BY INITIAL MOVEMENT OF THE HEADRELATIVE TO THE GUIDE MEMBER FROM ITS FIRST POSITION TOWARD ITS SECONDPOSITION TO DISENGAGE THE GUIDING MEANS FROM RUNS OF WIRE ENGAGED ANDGUIDED THEREBY, THE HEAD AFTER SAID INITIAL MOVEMENT ENGAGING THE GUIDEMEMBER AND MOVING IT TO ITS SECOND POSITION.